dulcia
by Illusion's Sword
Summary: Ayase needs cheering up. Tsugumi knows just the thing.  Part of the 5 prompts challenge on LJ, table #2 prompt #3, "assorted flavours".


**Warnings:** Shoujou-ai, spoilers for the end of the series.

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><p>Almost immediately after Shuu leaves, the birthday party dissolves, which isn't all that surprising. It may have been Haru's birthday (or would have been, were she still alive to see it), but the party was really for Shuu. After giving thanks for the help, as well as for the hosting, Tsugumi and Ayase make their way back to their apartment slowly. It's a nice day out- it seems almost surreal, after what they've lived and fought through, but it's certainly a good thing. It's the kind of day that makes people forget about all the bad things that had happened in the past, the kind that makes it seem like the world can still recover. Still, it's busy, and even hotter than usual, and Ayase doesn't really like the way her wheelchair heats up in the sun, so they don't linger too much.<p>

On the way, though, a store catches Tsugumi's eye, and, without more than a brief, "be right back", Ayase finds herself alone. It's not as though she isn't capable of taking care of herself, and she almost wants to go home first, but Tsugumi did say she would be quick, and Ayase doesn't mind waiting, though she does wheel herself under the shade of a tree. With nothing to do to kill time, she thinks back- about Gai, about Haru, about Inori- all the things they had lost to save the world. She doesn't regret saving humanity, of course, but she wishes the price hadn't been so damn high- others would say that the loss of a few lives was surely greater than the death of humanity as a whole, but knowing all of the victims- knowing all of the people who died brutal deaths to give the world hope… She feels sad, even as she smiles at the people around her milling about, life basically back to normal. Even the man complaining loudly on his phone doesn't bother her as much as it would have, in the past.

She's so lost in thought that Tsugumi's abrupt appearance directly in front of her face makes her jerk backwards in surprise. The blue haired girl grins cattishly, holding something behind her back, and Ayase doesn't get a chance to see it before her friend has circled around behind her again, pushing the wheelchair in the direction of their apartment (after wincing when the handles were hot to the touch). Tsugumi hums one of Inori's songs quietly the whole way, and Ayase nearly dozes off from the peace she's feeling, though the twisted pain of loss still hurts her heart.

It isn't until they're safe in the shelter of their air-conditioned home that Ayase bothers to ask what Tsugumi had bought- or, at least, that was what she had intended to do, but the second her mouth opened there was a lollipop stuck in it. Nearly choking at the abruptness of it, she moves her hand up to tug it out of her mouth and sputter, "What? Candy?"

"Yup! I didn't know what your favourite flavour was so I just bought a lot of them~"

That wasn't really what Ayase had meant, but she figured she wouldn't get another answer as Tsugumi made a happy noise after popping a light blue and pink swirled lollipop in her own mouth, squirming happily on the spot before turning and flopping on the couch, still happy looking. To her surprise, Tsugumi takes it out a second later and says, "You seemed upset."

Ayase blinks, surprise flashing across her features. She pulls the lollipop out of her mouth- cherry, and she's sure her tongue is probably dark red to match. "Did I? I guess I was just thinking about everything that happened…"

Tsugumi stands and walks over to her, offering a hand out of the wheelchair, which Ayase takes, no longer reluctant to accept help. Her lollipop is taken from her hands and re-wrapped, Tsugumi doing the same to her own. Then Ayase's sitting on the chair next to their couch, only to be startled even more when the blue-eyed girl straddles her, tugging her into a hug (which ends up with Ayase's face pressed into the hacker's chest, cheeks flaming as she sputters, not that the other girl can hear it). The redhead is too embarrassed to speak, which seems to be fine with Tsugumi, who strokes her hair and says "it's okay, I understand. We really lost a lot, but I'm glad I didn't lose you, Aya-chan."

It's rare to have Tsugumi acting serious (well, minus the face-in-chest-hug), so Ayase finds she can't reply immediately. She does return the embrace though, hesitantly, tugging Tsugumi closer even as it forces her face further into the shorter girl's chest. Tsugumi makes a good point though- they've been friends for so long, Ayase's not sure what she would have done if Tsugumi had died. The thought steals the breath right out of her lungs, and before she realizes what's happening, the blue haired girl has pulled back and tilted her face up.

Tsugumi's mouth tastes sweet, and slightly sticky from the lollipop- cotton candy, some part of Ayase's brain registers- and her own cherry flavoured tongue adds just the right amount of tang. Her head tilts sideways a bit, tongue venturing out to swipe across Tsugumi's bottom lip. The blue haired girl squirms a bit, whimpering lightly as her mouth opens to press their tongues together and rub them against each other, the flavours of their lollipops mixing, colours spreading to stain each other's mouth. Only when the need for air reaches her brain does Ayase pull away, even then, staying close enough to share the same heated space of air with Tsugumi, whose lips have twisted into a devilish grin.

Ayase's face heats up. "You…"

Tsugumi licks her lips, smirk still in place, and says, "Tasty." She presses another chaste kiss to Ayase's mouth, tongue flickering out quickly to wipe away some of the stickiness. "I think I've discovered my new favourite flavour~"

Unable to help herself, Ayase lets out an indignant noise, but doesn't let the smaller girl move away, hands still clutching her waist. Her golden eyes seem to waver for a second, unsure of where to land with Tsugumi still so close, until a dainty hand under her chin forces their eyes to meet. Tsugumi sighs theatrically, seeming put-out. "What, you didn't like it?"

Before Ayase even gets the chance to protest, to deny disliking it, Tsugumi continues, humming happily near the end, "Well, that's okay. We still have plenty of other flavours to try~"

Ayase finally finds her voice, and laughs at just how… iTsugumi/i that line is. She smiles. "Well, I don't really mind cherry, but I think I'd prefer strawberry…"

Tsugumi kisses her again with a smile sweeter than the candy.


End file.
